Job Discussion Forums

[bule_boy69]

Hi folks...

Was hopin you TBI people would be so kind as to give me some up2 date info on your working conditions. Can PM if u prefer.

The ususal stuff - dosh/paid hols/hours etc but also your general feeling about the place.

Also... can you tell me if the conditions vary much between branches in jkt?
I saw one ad somewhere which said 20 days holiday for example, but I'm sure i read somewhere a while back they were more generous...

I heard that the Kelapa Gading is a 20 hour week but others are longer, is the pay better accordingly?

Thanks people

[Andror]

Yep, Kelapa Gading has a 20 hour week, as I believe some of the other newer, franchised branches do. For this you get around 12 jt per month this year, and less at regional branches. 6 weeks holiday total, with 4 weeks negotiated with the branch, a week at Xmas and a week at Idul Fitri (when the school closes). $800 USD end of contract bonus.

The central Jakarta branch was offering a 24 hour/week load, and is likely paying around 15jt by now.

TBI is a professional, more serious type of language school, and seems to be one of the best in Jakarta. I worked there for nearly two years, and was happy with it, as were most of the teachers; the only reason I left was to make the transition to k-12 teaching.

[bule_boy69]

Thanks for that Andror

Yeah I have a Secondary Teaching Qual myself...but looking for a reasonable (non EF) first job in Indo..

Seems much easier to get a job from overseas in a language school compared to other jobs.

Can anyone tell me about the amount holidays at TBI? The Kelapa Gading branch sounds reasonable, but what about the other Jakarta branches? Same deal? I think I saw it was less ...is it?

[philbags]

TBI is now franchising and ,inevitably,quality varies considerably. TBI Kuningan is the one to aim for - I won't say it's the ONLY one but you can be sure they'd pay and treat you well. As for the rest, it's really down to the owner of the school how they play the game although, inlike EF, they are monitored by the main outfit to a degree. maybe you should ask the guys at Kuningan. bear in mind other posts on here; anything less than 12 mil/month in jakarta wouldnt be a realistic professional salary.
It's becoming practice to ask certain franchise schools for references; ie ex teachers - I can think of a tbi in jkt that probably couldnt rustle one up in a hurry.
P

[Yr of Living Dangerously]

Yes, the quality varies considerably between the centrally-managed TBI schools (Kuningan, Sudirman) and the others. I will tell you about my experiences working for TBI Cengkareng.

I left an EF to join there in April 2006, drawn by the excellent facilities (e.g. internet and data projector in each class) and vastly superior working conditions (e.g. salary, six weeks leave, real health insurance). However, the DOS who recruited me left as I arrived, having returned to be a normal teacher at TBI Kuningan; not a good sign.

The guy who owns the franchise is a former banker who would always overrule the DOS's decisions on everything on the grounds that it was his money, etc. Unfortunately, the owner is a former banker, who knows nothing about how to run a school.

I was "dismissed without cause" after six months, after a(n adult) student complained I was picking on him. I would have disputed the student's version of events, but they didn't even ask me or any other students in the class; they just gave me a piece of paper and no explanation. The following year, another teacher was dismissed without cause just a couple of months before the end of his contract, probably just to save on paying the bonus.

The last time I checked they had less than 100 students. The school is in a poor location in ITC Cengkareng (Jl Kamal Raya Outer Ring Road) near a Carrefour and no schools, but the owner rearranges the school to have good feng shui rather than focussing on promotion and supporting the teachers. Every class is now half native/Indonesian taught, as it says on their webpage:

[laughing_magpie06]

Good post year of, I nearly worked for this school back in 2005 when it opened but didn't like the non central location. The DoS at that time was a guy named Simon who seemed pretty decent to me. He must be the one who bailed when the ship started to sink.

[philbags]

Yeah, lets name and shame; I'm languishing in a hospital bed as we speak but I've got wi-fi.
Cengkareng: seems to me that this mob epitomize what can go wrong with franchising and I hope will encourage TBI HQ to keep a close eye on what schools are doing to their name.
Remember just before christmas, Cengkareng were advertising for a DOS on TEFL.com? well, i applied for that post, they called me back, said they were pretty interested and invited me down to jakarta to interview. So I travelled over there ,booked into a hotel, own expense of course yada yada and then when it finally comes to talking terms...."well we're actually just looking for a teacher" . inwardly im thinking 'you filthy dirtbags' but hold my tongue and say 'ok ,how much?' "err well, i'm not actually at liberty to say; that's for you to negotiate with the owner'
Now, I've worked in China recently so I've seen this game a lot and frankly it makes me want to puke. Needless to say I told 'em I thought their recruitment procedures were irresponsible and the fact that they were using my country's name to endorse their shoddy product was disgraceful. I mean if I set up a company called ,for example 'Indonesia's finest', and used it to market porky scratchings and cheap booze ,the Indos would be a little miffed wouldnt they?
I know of TBI franchises that are good schools but I think we have one here that fits neatly into the English Fist category(spelling intentional).
The moral is, cats and kittens - Is TBI The British Institute, or simply, Those Bloody Interlopers?
Be careful out there.
P

[benbobaggins]

Hello all,

I worked at TBI in Kuningan for 2 years and I can't complain one bit. The staff are very friendly and understanding. The group of teachers are extremely nice and the DOS and Principal are both top rate people. The working conditions are very good, with good pay and times for teaching, good facilities, and a nice-clean environment. The resources are good and the staff training is frequent and useful.
I think anyone who goes to work there with a good attitude and work ethic will be very happy. If they go with the 'EF' mentality of constantly complaining and going out to get pissed every night, then rolling into work 15 minutes before your 1st class, then don't bother.
With regards to the use of "British" in their title, I don't see how this can offend anyone. next we'll be saying the U.N. is a c**p name because countries are fighting!

<My verdict: 8.5 out of 10. A great place to move on to after an EF induction to ESL.

[guruengerish]

"The DoS at that time was a guy named Simon who seemed pretty decent to me. "


Would that have been Xeno?? He set a high standard at TBI Malang when I was there for a year, and helpful when help was needed.

BTW: TBI was extremely professional when it came to medical insurance. They insured each expat staff member for medivac if necessary, to either Singapore or Australia.

EF initially insured us for a public ward in a local hospital.

Might not seem such a big deal if you're sitting around a fire in Melbourne, but believe me, it's nice to know you're covered. Hospital treatment in Indonesia is not the greatest.

[Omen]

I worked at TBI Bogor for 4 years and had a good time.

Would recommend TBI as one of the better English schools in Indonesia. They are keen on keeping teaching standards high and offer regular training.

[hairyrambutan]

[hairyrambutan]

[Llamalicious]

[Omen]

[hairyrambutan]

He looks like his main mode of transport is probably a South American camelid.